Revision 5

Tears of Metal is designed from the ground up as a co-op experience. Players can join together online with up to three additional friends for a full four-player campaign. The game also supports solo play, making co-op an option rather than a requirement.

Online Co-op

Online co-op supports up to four players simultaneously. Each player controls their own playable hero, and different hero combinations can create powerful team synergies when combined with compatible artifact builds. The game uses online multiplayer only; no local split-screen co-op has been announced.

Cross-Platform Play

The announced Xbox release supports Xbox Play Anywhere, so a single Microsoft Store purchase covers both Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, and progress carries between them. Play Anywhere is not the same thing as cross-platform play, and Paper Cult has not announced whether players on Steam will be able to join the same session as players on the Xbox versions.

Challenge Shop Co-op

The Challenge Shop mode, unlocked after defeating the boss Gilles the Hog, supports the full co-op party of up to four players. This high-difficulty mode is designed to be tackled solo or with friends for greater rewards.

Progression in Co-op

In co-op sessions, players share the same campaign run and must coordinate artifact selection, soldier management, and combat strategy. Permanent soldier losses apply across the shared campaign, so the whole party must work together to protect experienced troops and advance through increasingly difficult environments.

Early Access Caveats

Paper Cult has described online multiplayer as fully supported in the Early Access build while noting that it is still being balanced and stabilised, and multiplayer stability was the explicit focus of the second open beta in 2025. Co-op sessions include in-game chat, and the store listing flags in-game chat and online interactivity as elements that no age rating covers.